Racism monitor charges 'discriminatory' language of the manual encourages 'targeting' of Arabs
The Jerusalem Municipality issued a safety protocol that instructs kindergarten teachers and custodial staff to deny entry to people belonging to "minority groups," a Hebrew phrase that typically stands for Arabs, according to a racism monitor.
The manual distributed to Jerusalem kindergartens and preschools states that "outsiders may not enter kindergarten premises," further stipulating that "as a rule, entrance is not permitted to members of minority groups."
The Racism Crisis Center, affiliated with the Reform Judaism movement, last week drew attention to the "discriminatory" language of the manual.
"Arabs in Israel are viewed as dangerous as it is, even in the absence of any real and specific indication that they pose a potential threat. As a result, they become immediate suspects, and are targeted, more than any other sector, due to alleged security reasons which are based on religious and ethnic stereotypes," the group's statement is quoted by Haaretz as saying.
Writing on Twitter, MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint Arab List) said on Thursday that "the municipality said the language will be amended but who knows what else we're in for if a racist like Smotrich will head the Education Ministry?"
"אין לאפשר כניסת זרים לגן. ככל, אין אישור לכניסת מיעוטים"
זו ההוראה של עיירית ירושליםם לגנים. בני מיעוטים, גם אם הינם אזרחי ותושבי המדינה, הם בגדר זרים, ומסוכנים בברירת המחדל!.
בעירייה אמרו שיתקנו את ההוראה - אבל מה עוד צפוי לנו אם הגזען סמוטריץ' יעמוד בראש משרד החינוך? pic.twitter.com/zOXzCFqpo0— MK Aida Touma-Sliman (@AidaTuma) April 18, 2019
Bezalel Smotrich, who was elected to the Knesset as part of the Union of Right-Wing Parties faction, is known for his far-right views; he was reportedly viewed as too intractable by hard-liners Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, who decided to break up the Habayit Hayehudi party over, among other issues, disagreements with Smotrich. He is expected to be given a ministerial portfolio in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's next government.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.
